A special trailing point hunter...

[J. Doyle]

Here's another trailing point hunter that is a prototype for a project I have coming up in the near future. This one even has a guard. Never having cared much for trailing points in the past, these are starting to be kind of fun and there will probably be more coming down the road.

Specs:

Hand forged from 1075 steel, clay quenched
8 3/8" overall, 4" blade, .190" thick at the ricasso with nice distal taper
Rounded spine and ricasso edge
German silver guard and spacer
American black walnut handle

All comments and discussion welcome.

[Ed Caffrey]

Looking good J! The worst part about trailing point blades is the sheath...you GOTTA build a sheath with a full welt all the way around. If you build a "folded over" type sheath, the customer WILL push the knife into the sheath, and right through the leather.....sometimes the results are nasty. Just a word of caution from someone who's had a customer do it.....and after he called and told me he had to get 1/2 dozen stitches in his thigh......I got a bit scared that he might come after me!

[ricky_arthur]

Love the design. I wish I could figure out how the heck you get the guard on that clean. Your attention to detail is amazing, I wish I had someone nearby that could teach me the small things like that that add up to amazing results.

[RickM1962]

Very nice and very clean! Particularly impressed with the fit and finish. Bravo!

[Steven Kelly]

Very Very nice John!!!!

[Doug Lester]

Great job on that knife. I sort of looks like the block for the handle was cut across the grain. Is that the case? Regardless, it give the knife a special look.

Ed, I was thinking about the sheath and I see where that could happen. I've only made one trailing point and that went out in a KITH without a sheath. I'll keep your caution in mind if I ever make another on. Actually I just remembered, I have one on the bench but I'm planning a wood lined sheath for that one anyway.

Doug

[victordonald]

i love this knife the fit is beautiful i especially love the little added channel around the base of the handle little things like that i love very well done!

[J. Doyle]

Thanks for the comments guys. I really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Ed Caffrey

Looking good J! The worst part about trailing point blades is the sheath...you GOTTA build a sheath with a full welt all the way around. If you build a "folded over" type sheath, the customer WILL push the knife into the sheath, and right through the leather.....sometimes the results are nasty. Just a word of caution from someone who's had a customer do it.....and after he called and told me he had to get 1/2 dozen stitches in his thigh......I got a bit scared that he might come after me!

Yes, Ed. I agree. Even with a welt all the way around, I noticed that you have to be careful sheathing this one. It is also so wicked sharp that it would slice the welt and stitches if you weren't careful.

Originally Posted by ricky_arthur

Love the design. I wish I could figure out how the heck you get the guard on that clean. Your attention to detail is amazing, I wish I had someone nearby that could teach me the small things like that that add up to amazing results.

Ricky, if you can find someone that you even have to travel a ways to, it's worth it to take literally years off the learing curve. Ed teaches some FANTASTIC classes that are worth every penny.

Originally Posted by Doug Lester

Great job on that knife. I sort of looks like the block for the handle was cut across the grain. Is that the case? Regardless, it give the knife a special look.


Doug

Thanks Doug. This looks like it might have been cut slightly across the grain at an angle. I don't think it was a full on cross grain cut. It had some feather figure in it that somewhat went away the more I sanded and shaped. You can still see it a little bit.

Thanks again for the comments guys.

[Jeremy]

John, your fit and finish are going to make getting your JS a whole lot easier. I always enjoy seeing your knives, thanks for sharing.

Jeremy

[Fulmaduro]

Wow, that guard to ricasso fit is amazing. I am trying to get mine to look so clean. Love the close-up pics.

Tony Z

[Horsewright]

I have built quite a few sheaths for trailing points and also some ice pick sharp pointy ones. I've had great success by building a "stop" into the welt that the front of the guard makes contact with before the point can get to the rest of the sheath whether welted or not. This has worked very well. Basically its like the "cam" that most folks will build into the welt that the guard rides up and over going into the sheath that provides that "clunk" noise when the knife gets home in the sheath, but on the other side. I cut the "stop" side vertical so that it stops the guard. I will also taper the throat of the sheath slightly and arrange the "cam" side of the welt so that as the knife is pulled from the sheath the tip is forced down and away from the top of the sheath preventing scoring. Works pretty darn well and is easy to do.

[Horsewright]

Forgot to mention: that knife is superb. Fit and finish is something else and the photos are excellent too!